Jimmy Sham Tsz-kit

Political Prisoner

Jimmy Sham Tsz-kit 岑子杰 

Age at Arrest: 34

Former convenor, Civil Human Rights Front 

*Currently in jail.

Jimmy Sham Tsz-kit was elected to the Sha Tin District Council in 2019, representing the pro-democracy League of Social Democrats in the Lek Yuen constituency. Sham has been an activist for LGBT rights and pro-democracy movements in the city, serving in the pro-democracy organisation Civil Human Rights Front and the LGBT rights organisation Rainbow of Hong Kong. Sham was named by Time magazine as one of "20 people to watch" in 2020. He was the only Hong Kong citizen on the list.

In August 2020, Sham was disqualified from the Hong Kong Legislative Council elections by the Hong Kong government after the government announced the postponement of the elections due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Sham was then arrested in January 2021 for participating in the “35+” unofficial primary elections in July 2020.

Sham also took part in Hong Kong’s Occupy Central Movement in 2014 and the annual 7.1 March. In 2011, Sham was arrested after the annual 7.1 March for participating in unlawful assembly. During the 2019 and 2020 protests, Sham suffered head injuries from several attacks by masked men with hammers and iron tubes. (Photo: Jimmy Sham’s Facebook page)

Charge, incident & sentence: 

  • Charge: Conspiracy to commit subversion under the National Security Law

    Incident: Organising and participating in unofficial primary elections for the Hong Kong Legislative Council in July 2020

    Sentencing: 4 years, 3 months’ imprisonment (HKFP)

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